Network Technology
Network Technology

PSP Running Wi-Fi for Korea

KT Corp., South Korea’s biggest fixed-line telephone and Internet operator, announced Monday an alliance with Sony Corp. to equip the Japanese electronics giant’s popular PSP console with Wi-Fi Internet access. KT said PSP customers will be able to surf the Web via the company’s 14,000 hotspots nationwide. Kang Hee-won, a spokesman at Sony Computer Entertainment Korea, added it is the first time in the world for Sony to add Wi-Fi connectivity for the PSP machines.

Human Area Networking Technology

NTT DoCoMo have developed a technology they call RedTacton, “which it claims can send data over the skin’s surface at speeds of up to 2 Mbps — equivalent to a fast broadband data connection. Your body could soon be the backbone of a broadband personal data network linking your mobile phone or MP3 player to a cordless headset, your digital camera to a PC or printer, and all the gadgets you carry around…” Yikes!

WiFi Wok — DIY 2.4-GHz Repeater Kit

The folks at the usb-wifi section of Orcon.net have assembled a super, step-by-step how-to guide, complete with photos, for making your very own wifi wok! The largest (300-mm diameter) provides a 15- to 18-dB gain, enough to extend the range to between three and five kilometers, costs about US$5.00 and comes with a user-friendly bamboo handle that suits WLAN fieldwork — if you can handle the curious stares! Complete with Chinese parabolic cookware and notepad by Stan, you gotta check this out.

Connextion by Boeing Price Plan

Connexion by Boeing today announced initial pricing and details for its new high-speed Internet service for the maritime market, scheduled for commercial availability this fall. The Connexion by Boeing service is available today on flights offered by Lufthansa, SAS, Japan Airlines, ANA and Singapore Airlines. In addition, China Airlines, El Al, Korean Air and Asiana have announced their intent to install the Connexion by Boeing system on their long-range aircraft.

Crossbow Establishes Japan Subsidiary with Sumitomo Precision Products

Crossbow Technology, Inc., the leading end-to-end solutions supplier in wireless sensor networks and the largest manufacturer of Smart Dust wireless sensors, announced today that it will establish a subsidiary in Japan. The subsidiary, to be named Crossbow Japan Ltd. (Crossbow Kabushiki Kaisha), is a joint partnership with Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s leading companies. The subsidiary, to be established by April 2005, will be based in Sumitomo Precision Products’ complex in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan. Crossbow will retain majority interest, with Sumitomo holding a minority interest.

Philips Unveils WLAN Mobile Solution

Philips Electronics announced a new low-power 802.11g wireless LAN semiconductor system-in-a-package (SiP) solution for the mobile phone market. The new low-power 802.11g solution enables consumers to access voice, data and multimedia content through WLAN networks up to five times faster than current 802.11b products on the market without compromising the battery life of the mobile phone.